Aloha.

Welcome to HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawaiʻi.

I'm Aleksah Martinez, an eighth grader   at ʻEwa Makai Middle School on Oʻahu.

In this episode, I get to share a special   collection of stories from Hawaiʻi's New Wave of  Storytellers.

We'll watch standout stories from   the winter round of shows this season.

There's  going to be stories of endangered Hawaiian bird   species and beloved horses, as well as stories  that investigate Hawaiian legends, or moʻolelo.

We'll watch a personal Student Reflection on  what it means to call both city and country home,   and we'll meet students with a passion  for traditional Hawaiian kapa art and   another who has impressive magical talents.

So let's dive in, starting at Mid-Pacific   Institute on Oʻahu.

Meet Marley Davidson, who  has a cinematic HIKI NŌ personal narrative   to share about understanding her two  island identities: city and country.

Many don't know that I live in  two different worlds.

The first   world is what most know and see.

In this world, I tend to blend in.

I am unnoticeable in a crowd, while also having  a free spirit.

The city is where I'd rather be.

I'd rather gaze up at the tall buildings  or drive through a tunnel of city lights.

All my friends are here.

My school, the  mall, everything I could need lies here.

Now the second world: The second world is  what many don't know and see.

In this world,   I tend to stand out.

Although I was  born here, I am not like everyone else.

It is also common to hear about the hate against  the industrialist place the island has become;   something that I love, I am forced  to hide.

I still enjoy the sunsets,   the beach, the shave ice shop, but knowing  that I have more than most here, along with   the fact that I don't look like everyone else,  I question if it makes me less of a Hawaiian.

But no matter how much I am pulled back between  worlds, and two worlds apart from my true self,   I am trying to find a balance, a balance  of who I am and who I want to be.

[Wave crashes] This next piece from students at Chiefess   Kamakahelei Middle School on Kauaʻi explores the  rich history of a bridge that immigrant villagers   once traveled over by foot.

Let's learn more.

Through a long process of community work,   the Kapaia Swinging Bridge in the gorgeous  Kapaia Valley on Kauaʻi went from this… to this.

Bridge was built in 1948.

There are many bridges  built before this, maybe starting from maybe the   1850s when the plantation immigrant – immigrants  came to Hawaii.

People walked over the bridge   every day.

In the 1930s, there were 600 people  living in Kapaia, this community of Kapaia,   so it has a lot of historical significance,  and that's the most important reason why   we wanted to repair the bridge.

Kimo St. John, an important member   of the Kapaia Foundation, says neglect and  severe rains and flooding rendered the bridge   no longer safe.

It was closed in 2006.

Well, it started out with the county   neglecting the repairs on the bridge,  and it kept getting worse and worse,   and then they finally blocked it off because  it became dangerous for people to walk on.

It was during the big storms when Hanalei and  every place flooded and the roads washed out.

We had a big flash flood, and when the  water built up, when the thing broke,   all those bushes and trees came rushing  down the river, and they're, you know,   they're some big trees, and they hit what was  left of the bridge, and just took it out.

It's part of old Kauaʻi, you know,  and I didn't want to see it disappear,   so I went to the county and just said, ‘Hey, can  you have someone come and repair the bridge?’ We   requested that the county put the bridge on the  agenda to get it repaired, and then the county   just decided they didn't want the bridge, and they  said, ‘If you guys want it, we'll give it to you,   but then you're responsible for repairing it.’ Kauaʻi county representatives were not available   to comment, but the Historic Hawaiʻi Foundation  says that the county did contribute $231,000   to repair the bridge after ownership  was transferred to the new nonprofit.

We were able to put it on the  Hawaii Register of Historic Places,   and we formed a 501c3 nonprofit association,  and then we were able to do a lot of projects,   you know, to bring awareness to the bridge.

Thirteen years for all that to happen.

It was   a very slow process, and at some point it  was very frustrating, because we, you know,   after three or four years of nothing  happening, you're just ready to give up.

I got a lot of satisfaction out of doing  it, and I love the bridge being there,   but I think it's more important that what we've  done will be passed on to your generation and   your kids' generation.

And part of Kauaʻi  that should have been kept has been saved.

In 2017, the bridge was fully repaired and  reopened to the public.

A part of Kapaia’s   history and beauty is restored, and, it remains  on the Hawaii State Register of Historic Places,   according to the Historic  Hawaiʻi foundation.

This is Ethan   Lagundino reporting for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawaiʻi.

This upcoming HIKI NŌ Did You Know teaches us   all about the ʻalae ʻula, or endangered Hawaiian  moorhen.

The young correspondents from Waiʻalae   elementary public charter school will charm you.

Hi, my name's Mari.

I'm a fifth grader at Waiʻalae   Elementary School.

This is our school mural  of the ʻalae ʻula, or native Hawaiian moorhen.

Did you know that ʻalae ʻula is a small  water bird native to our neighborhood,   and it's endangered?

There are only about  1,000 left.

According to a Hawaiian legend,   fire was brought to the people of Hawaiʻi by the  ʻalae ʻula, which explains their red foreheads,   a symbol of the scorching from the fire.

Despite  their history, during the 20th century, their   population declined dramatically, and the species  became endangered.

Threats to the ʻalae ʻula have   come from both humans and other animals.

The ʻalae ʻula historically had a few predators.

They had the Pueo and the aukuʻu, which is the  night heron.

Over time, though, as people came,   they brought more predators with them, like the  cats, rats, mongoose; they also brought turtles,   frogs, and so the list just keeps growing and  growing in addition to just human activities.

In recent years, the population has been  stable or increasing thanks to predator   control and habitat management efforts.

There's like, a bunch of different things   people are doing.

The main one is  that they're caring for these spaces,   so they’re protected like James – James Campbell  National Wildlife Refuge, Hamakua Marsh, Kawainui,   Kaʻelepulu, all of these wetland spaces are  now being managed and cared for by somebody.

You can see the ʻalae ʻula in all of those wetland  spaces and even in parking lots in Kailua town.

This is Mari Yamamoto from Waiʻalae Elementary  Public Charter School for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawaiʻi.

Hayden Betts, an eighth grader Hawaii Preparatory  Academy Middle School on Hawaii Island,   shared this touching student reflection  about her love of riding bikes and how   it's helped her through challenging times.

I'm Hayden Betts, an eighth grader at Hawai‘i   Preparatory Academy on the Big Island.

Ever since  I was young, I've loved riding bikes.

It gave me   a sense of freedom and relief from whenever I  was stressed.

It has always been a part of me,   even when I didn't realize it.

I have fibular  hemimelia, meaning that my left leg is shorter   than my right leg.

Riding bikes has been an escape  from life problems, and sometimes made me forget I   was disabled in the first place.

[laughter]   Push the button.

However, when I was 10,   I had to get a surgery on my right leg to slow  down the growth so my left leg could eventually   catch up.

This caused me to go into a wheelchair,  and it was a difficult change.

It not only stopped   me from doing what I loved, but it stopped me  from doing things I could normally do with ease   like going to school and getting to run around the  house.

However, I wasn't in a wheelchair for long,   though, and I eventually started to heal.

I  could go back to how things originally were.

I wanted to try riding my bike again, but when  I did, it was painful, and I couldn't do it.

I wanted to give up immediately, but I knew  that I couldn't give up on something I love   so much.

I didn't want to feel trapped and  lose that freedom I once had.

So, I decided   to keep healing until I could try again.

My parents got me into physical therapy to   help me readjust.

It was difficult, but it helped  me a lot.

After some more trial and error, I could   eventually ride again.

I was a little rusty, but  that was alright.

I was just happy I could do it.

Okay, be careful.

[insects chirp]   A couple years later, I now ride often with my  family, and I feel more connected to them and   myself.

I now care about the little things that  may seem meaningless yet matter the most.

From   dealing with my surgery to finding my freedom once  more, riding my bike has made me my best self.

Now for a fun Behind the Scenes look at Honowai  Elementary School on Oʻahu, where students take   us on a visit to their school store.

Hello, there.

Did you know our school,   Honowai Elementary, has its own school  store?

The school store is called Honozon.

It's called Honozon because it sounds like  a mix of Honowai and Amazon.

We sell school   supplies, tie dye T shirts, and more.

The idea all began in the summer of 2023   when a student thought that making school supply  bundles was like working at Amazon.

Our reason   for making Honozon was to make it easier  for students to shop for school supplies   and whatever they need for school, or to just  have fun stuff like bracelets and phone cases.

At Honozon, we teach students how to learn  how it is to be an entrepreneur.

We get   recommendations from teachers and students to  sell products like socks or tie dye T shirts.

We use the funds we make from Honozon to  help out our school with fun activities;   for example, field trips and learning trips.

Two  of our school's teachers are the store advisors.

Their names are Miss Andres and Miss Tolentino,  if you ever visit Honowai, or if you know anybody   who goes to Honowai Elementary School, make  sure to visit Honozon, our school store.

My name is Robindhel Fines…I’m Jhervin Dulay,  and I'm Angelo Asperin from Honowai Elementary   for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawaiʻi.

[wave crash]   I began riding as a two-year-old.

My  babysitter was not a human.

It was a horse.

Fern White is an authentic cowgirl who  grew up on Maui and currently operates   a ranch with her husband in Kohala, on the  Big Island of Hawai‘i.

Her horses have been   featured in several movies, most recently in  the 2022 movie, The Wind and the Reckoning.

I grew up on a working ranch, one of the  largest still in our state, called Ulu Palakua,   and on that ranch, a typical day in my growing  up, which is the 50s, horses was an actual four   legged animal, and that's what you rode to go  and check pastures, to check the water lines,   to check how the health of the cattle, what  they were for that day, to move them around.

And that would be a typical day back then.

At 14, Fern was the first Hawai‘i rodeo barrel   race champion.

She was also Miss Maui in 1968  and Pā‘ū Queen several times.

Her experiences   gave her a unique view of paniolo culture.

The  ranchers of old, they're not going to say, “I   was a paniolo.” They're going to say, “I cowboy.

I cowboy.” Right?

Women will say it, guys will   say it.

I cowboy.

When we say paniolo, I know that  the meaning for people means the cowboy culture.

So, with that in mind, the importance of  perpetuating that is because it represents   several things, is, the connection to  land, and the connection to food source.

But the importance of preserving the paniolo  culture, as you guys call it paniolo culture, the   cowboy culture, is to preserve what it means to  have grit, and caring, and that is at its core.

Fern began teaching horsemanship at age 16.

Her teaching process stems from the values and   disciplines associated with cowboy traditions.

A lot of times, process for other people is okay,   I'll show you a little bit now.

You just go, you  can go play, you can compete, you can do whatever.

I am very much about foundation.

Foundation first,  basic understanding, caring for, uh, and safety.

Fern runs the therapeutic  riding program, Lio Lapa‘au.

She believes horses can regulate our emotions.

And my students can attest to this.

Right, they   had a rough day at school.

They have a rough day  in life.

They're home, or whatever that is.

And so   now they come.

That horse is going to have a whole  different reaction, behavior, response, right?

And most of the time, you'll find that horse like,  put its head somewhere, sometime in your lap.

Now   if you go in and you get that horse and you think  you ʻall that,ʻ a horse will show you, “Hey,   whoa.

What, you all that?

I don't think so.” Fern is deeply connected to the cowgirl lifestyle,   not just as a way of life, but also as a  source of healing and personal growth.

I’ve always known that the horse  can help us survive the world,   that I can turn to a horse, get on its back, ride  for 5, 10 minutes, and the world's okay again.

This is Georgia Sandberg from Konawaena  High School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave] Waiʻanae High School’s mascot   will no longer be a bit of a mystery thanks  to their next feature story.

Let's visit the   campus on the west side of Oʻahu to learn more.

For decades, locals on O‘ahu have told their   children varying stories of a mysterious figure  lurking in the oceans off the coast of Wai‘anae.

I've learned this story from my kupuna, my  teachers, my friends, my family, you know,   anyone who just happens to mention it.

Everyone knows this and that about it,   but very few people know the whole story.

Mo‘olelos, or stories, are essential in   Hawaiian culture, as they are often  passed down by word of mouth, without   documentation.

The story of this mysterious  figure is the closest to Hawaiian tradition,   as there's no physical trace of it anywhere.

This is a story that you can't find by just   Googling it.

It's one that is  special to the west side and its   people.

The way the mo‘olelo goes is that- There was an unnamed valley with a young and   handsome chief, and his name was Makaha.

He is riding on the back of the tiger shark,   spear in hand, protecting the ahupua‘a  and the people on the West Coast.

[conch shell blows] And it's said that he's the first Searider.

The Searider is said to be an ʻikaika  warrior, riding on the back of a tiger shark,   donning a helmet, and grasping his wooden spear  as he protects the coast of Wai‘anae.

Although   the origins of this mo‘olelo remains unclear, he  has become an important figure in our community.

It's not just an urban legend for many of us,  it's a representation of how resilient we can be,   especially coming from Wai‘anae and all  the hardships we face as a community.

He became such a predominant figure in  the community that in 1957 when Wai‘anae   High School was first established, a committee  decided upon the Searider as the school's mascot,   hoping to share his values with the school.

We are the only school, the only place,   really, that has that mascot.

It's made  for our community, and it also represents   our inner strength, represents our resiliency  as a community.

And I think the Searider is a   good embodiment of what we are as a people.

To outsiders, the Searider may seem scary,   but to Wai‘anae community members- Being a Searider means you are strong,   resilient, just proud to be from  Wai‘anae; just being able to show up and   ride every single wave that comes your way.

This urban legend is more than just a story,   but a reminder to young Hawaiians  like Kukalia to stay true to the   cultural values that the Searider upholds.

So, I think if we can reflect more on these   urban legends and these mo‘olelos that is  part of our culture, then it would help the   people in general go back to our roots and  start to demonstrate these Hawaiian values,   such as aloha, kuleana, mālama.

We don't have the  best circumstances all the time.

We're not as well   off as other communities, and so we've learned  to be very resilient and to just find happiness   and peace and make do with what we have.

This is Natasha Maafala from Wai‘anae High   School for HIKI NŌ on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave]   Our next Student Reflection comes from eighth  grader Kili Correa at Hawaiʻi Preparatory   Academy on Hawaiʻi Island.

She shares her  passion for creating impressive works of   art with Hawaiian kapa bark.

Aloha mai kākou, o wau ʻo Kili   Anuenuekaupoikamalamalama Hailimoe Correa.

I was eight years old when I first saw kapa.

It was at my tutu’s birthday.

My auntie gifted  my tutu kapa that had taken her seven years to   make.

I was so mesmerized by this Hawaiian  art form and wanted to learn how to do it,   but I had no idea what it was.

I was never really close with my Hawaiian   culture.

My parents would speak ‘ōlelo Hawai‘i  to me and would talk about Hawaiian history,   but I never found it interesting.

That was until  I saw kapa.

I thought it would be a great way to   get close and connect with my Hawaiian culture.

I was in the third grade when I wanted to pursue   my interest.

I had told my mom about this  interest, and she had heard of a kapa hui   hosted by Roen Hufford, an award winning  kapa artist and many other kapa beaters.

They agreed to teaching me, but it would  take a lot of time, dedication, and work,   which was a struggle for a third grader.

Kapa is a traditional art form that Native   Hawaiians use as clothing, art, and  blankets.

Kapa is created from wauke,   or paper mulberry.

The first steps to making  kapa are stripping the wauke of its outer   bark and soaking it in water.

This makes the  wauke fermented and soft so that we can begin   the process of beating it.

We beat the kapa with  multiple beaters and on different surfaces so that   we can widen, stretch and thin out the wauke.

Once we are done beating, we lay out the kapa   to dry.

Once the kapa is fully dry, we are able  to begin the process of dyeing.

We dye with all   natural dyes that we create from plants,  berries, dirt, flowers and even sap.

The   designs on the kapa are intricate and beautiful.

I started selling and participating in shows.

I felt so accomplished that all my hard  work and dedication had paid off.

My whole   hui and my family were proud of me.

I just know  eight-year-old me would be so amazed and impressed   by my growth.

Kapa has taught me that everything  takes time and work.

I became closer and connected   with my Hawaiian culture because I feel like  I'm helping to keep a Hawaiian tradition alive.

[ocean wave] Now we have a   little magic for you to close the show.

This  excellent upcoming profile story was produced   by students at Campbell High School on Oʻahu.

In  it, you'll meet a magician who started young and   has graced stages on Oʻahu and even Las Vegas.

Magic is who I am, and I try every day to be that,   to embody that magic that I embody in  my head.

My name is Landon Espiritu   and I’ve been doing magic for nine years.

Please welcome seven-year-old Landon “The   Magnificent.” [applause]   Landon started performing magic at  just seven years old, eventually   being able to perform even in Las Vegas.

When I first hopped onto the Hawai‘i magic scene,   I think it was seven.

One of my first big  performances was at Kaimuki High School for   Hawai‘i Magic Festival.

I ended up performing  in Vegas around the beginning of 2020.

Through Vegas, Landon got a lot of  recognition as a young magician from O‘ahu.

I went to perform in Las Vegas at the  Golden Nugget for a magic convention.

I couldn't believe it.

Like, going to Vegas  is like wanting to be an actor and going to   Hollywood.

It was a big deal for me.

And after  that, I got back, we put everything away,   and I never really picked it back up.

At the peak of Landon's success,   he took a break from magic.

I took a break from magic around 2020.

I had this   break for probably, like a year, like, it was more  like four years.

I haven't done really any magic.

Very simple, very simple game.

Recently, Landon has started to   practice magic again with a new perspective.

For the past two years, I've been going back   into magic slowly.

I was reintroduced by some  connections that I have at this school.

So,   when I picked it back up, it was just remembering  how to perform, which, you know, when I think   about it, is one of the biggest parts of why I  love it.

And for me, having to relearn how to be   me on stage again was and is a process.

It's tough  because you feel like, man, I used to be so good   at this.

Why can’t I just flow into it?

But, you  know, I learned a lot.

I learned a lot in the past   four years, whether or not I've been performing.

See that?

Through this long break, Landon is planning to  come back better than ever, preparing to perform   at Hawai‘i Magic Festival in December 2024.

I'm still working up to get to this show.

This   is the first time I've performed in Hawai‘i Magic  Festival for four or five years.

But I have to   just trust in myself and the people around me that  I can create something beyond me.

I think it's a   process that I have to trust, and then I have  to jump in headfirst.

I think I've been stuck   in my mind for so long about performing.

You know,  everything has just been in my head or on paper,   and I've been overcoming it by just doing  it.

I know I could be somewhere great, and,   I, when I close my eyes, I hear the applause.

This is Ryan Alacar from James Campbell High   School for HIKI NŌ, on PBS Hawai‘i.

[ocean wave]   That concludes our show.

What an amazing array  of stories we've seen this winter round.

Thank   you for watching the work of Hawaiʻi's New Wave  of Storytellers.

Don't forget to subscribe to   PBS Hawaiʻi on YouTube, Instagram and Tiktok.

You can find this HIKI NŌ episode and more   at pbshawaii.org.

Tune in next week for more  proof that Hawaiʻi students, HIKI NŌ – can do!